Collapsible boat



y 7, 1964 J. B. CRAFT 3,139,634

COLLAPSIBLE BOAT Filed July 5, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIGJ.

ATTORNEYS July 7, 1964 CRAFT 3,139,634

COLLAPSIBLE BOAT Filed July 5, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. JOHN BCRAFT BYWEW ATTORNEYS United States Patent M 3,139,634 COLLAPSIBLE BOATJohn B. Craft, 709 W. Atlantic, Philadelphia, Pa. Filed July 5, 1962,Ser. No. 207,630 Claims. 01. 9-2

This invention relates to collapsible boats.

An object of this invention is to provide a collapsible boat having anoverall shape and appearance substantially like that of a conventionalsmall boat.

A further object of this invention is to provide a collapsible boathaving sides formed from elongated planks hinged together at the forwardends thereof by a fabric strip of waterproof material such as rubberizedcanvas or the like and a bottom of similar fabric attached to andspanning lower edges of the planks.

A further object of this invention is to provide a collapsible boat ofthis type in which spreader members are mounted between side planks ofthe boat and are releasably received between guides attached to the sideplanks and in which each end of each spreader member carries hook-shapedmembers which fit over upper edges of the side planks to limit thespreading of the side planks.

A further object of this invention is to provide a collapsible boat ofthis type in which, upon removal of the spreader members, the sideplanks can be folded together to form a compact package.

The above and other objects and features of the invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art to which this invention pertainsfrom the following detailed description and the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of a collapsible boat constructed inaccordance with an embodiment of this invention;

FIG. 2 is a view in section taken on the line 2-2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section taken on the line 3-3in FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section taken on the line 44in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary view in section taken on the line 5-5in FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view showing one rear cornerof the boat;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the boat with spreader members removedtherefrom; and

FIG. 8 is a view in section taken on the line 88 in FIG. 1.

In the following detailed description, and the drawings, like referencecharacters indicate like parts.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 is shown a boat 20 which includes side planks 21 and 22which are formed of elongated rectangular planks of marine plywood orother flexible sheet material. A bottom 23 of the boat is formed ofwaterproof fabric such as rubberized canvas or the like. Forward end ofthe side planks 21 and 22 are linked by a hinge strip 24 which can alsobe formed of fabric such as nibberized canvas. Rear ends of the sideplanks 21 and 22 are linked by a strip or section 26 of the fabric whichcan be integral with the bottom 23. Edge portions of the fabric bottomare attached to the side planks by a suitable adhesive, such as awaterproof or marine glue, and are further attached thereto by staples27 (FIG. 7). Edge portions of the hinge strip 24 and of the rear strip26 are similarly attached to end portions of the planks by glue andstaples.

The side planks are spread apart by means of a seat board 28 (FIGS. 1and 2), a back rest board 2?, a transom board 31 and a forward footrestboard 32.

The seat board 28 is received between upper and lower cleat members 33and 34 (FIG. 1) mounted on the side 3,139,634 Patented July 7, 1964plank 21 and similar cleat members 36 (only one of which is shown,FIG. 1) attached to the side plank 22. The back rest board 29 isreceived between cleats 37 and 38 attached to the side plank 21 andsimilar cleats 39 and 41 attached to the side plank 22.

The back rest board 29 is provided with hook members 42 and 43 attachedto the upper edge thereof. Details of construction of the hook member 42are shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. As indicated in FIG. 3, the hook member 42includes a main flange 44 attached to the back rest board 29 and adownwardly extending flange 46 which extends just outside the side plank21. The hook member 43 is of similar construction. The book members fitover the upper edges of the side planks and hold the upper edges of theside planks against excessive spreading so that when the back rest board29 is in position, the side planks are held in spaced relation butcannot spread unduly or in a manner which might permit the back restboard 29 to escape from the cleats which hold it in position.

The transom board 31 is removably received between cleats 48 and 49attached to the side board 21 and similar cleats 52 and 53 attached tothe side board 22. The transom board carries L-shaped hooks 55 and 56which are similar in construction to the hooks already described andhang over outer edges of the upper rear portions of the side planks 21and 22 in a similar manner to prevent undue spreading of the side planksat the rear of the boat. A strengthening block 57 is attached to thetransom board and may be used for mounting an outboard motor or thelike.

The forward portions of the planks of the boat are held in spreadrelationship by the foot rest board 32. As shown most clearly in FIG. 5,the foot rest board 32 fits under a slanting cleat 61 attached to theside plank 21 and a similar slanting cleat 62 (FIG. 1) attached to theside plank 22. The forward portions of the planks flare outwardlybecause an upper edge 63 of each plank is longer than a lower edge 64(see FIGS. 2 and 7) and the flaring nature thereof holds the foot restboard 32 against the cleats 61 and 62.

A plurality of floor boards 66 (FIGS. 1 and 2) are attached to thebottom 23 by adhesive or by other suitable means to form a flooring forthe boat and to support a user thereof. When the boat is in the water,the floor portion bows upwardly as shown most clearly in FIG. 8 withinner floor boards 66a and 66b engaging the underside of the seat board32, and lower areas are formed along the bottom edges of the side plankswhich can catch any water which may enter the boat.

The boat can readily be disassembled by removal of the spreader members,as shown in FIG. 7, and the side planks can be folded together to form acompact package.

The boat illustrated in the drawings and described above is subject tostructural modification without departing from the spirit and scope ofthe appended claims. This application is a continuation-in-part of myco-pending application Serial No. 855,441, filed November 25, 1959, nowPatent No. 3,056,976.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent is:

1. A collapsible boat which comprises a pair of elongated side planks ofboard-like material forming sides thereof, a waterproof fabric striphinging forward ends of said side planks together, a waterproof fabricbottom sheet attached to lower edges of the side planks and linking theside planks, a transom strip of waterproof material attached to andlinking rear edges of the side planks and integral with the bottomsheet, a seat board releasably received between the side planks, meansfor holding the seat board in position closely spaced above lower edgesof the side planks, a back rest member releasably received between theside planks, hook members at opposite ends of the back rest memberoverlying upper edges of the side planks and engageable with outer facesof the side planks, each side plank being held between one of the endsof the back rest and the hook member associated therewith, and means forholding the back rest member in position adjacent the seat board.

2. A collapsible boat which comprises a pair of elongated side planks ofboard-like material forming sides thereof, a waterproof fabric striphinging forward ends of said side planks together, a waterproof fabricbottom sheet attached to lower edges of the side planks and linking theside planks, a transom strip of waterproof material attached to andlinking rear edges of the side planks and integral with the bottomsheet, a seat board releasably received between the side planks, meansfor holding the seat board in position closely spaced above lower edgesof the side planks, a back rest member releasably received between theside planks, hook members at opposite ends of the back rest memberoverlying upper edges of the side planks and engageable with outer facesof the side planks, each side plank being held between one of the endsof the back rest and the hook member associated therewith, means forholding the back rest member in position adjacent the seat board, andmeans on the bottom sheet engageable with the seat board to limit upwardbowing of the bottom sheet when the boat is in water.

3. A collapsible boat which comprises a pair of elongated side planks ofboard-like material forming sides thereof, a waterproof fabric striphinging forward ends of said side planks together, a waterproof fabricbottom sheet attached to lower edges of the side planks and linking theside planks, a transom strip of waterproof material attached to andlinking rear edges of the side planks and integral with the bottomsheet, a seat board releasably received between the side planks, meansfor holding the seat board in position closely spaced above lower edgesof the side planks, a back rest member releasably received between theside planks, hook members at opposite ends of the back rest memberoverlying upper edges of the side planks and engageable with outer facesof the side planks, means for holding the back rest member in positionadjacent the seat board, forward portions of the side planks flaringupwardly and outwardly, a footrest member extending between forwardportions of the side planks, and retainer cleats attached to the sideplanks overlying the footrest member, the retainer cleats extendingforwardly and upwardly, the footrest member being held under the cleatsby the forward portions of the side planks.

4. A collapsible boat which comprises a pair of elongated side planks ofboard-like material forming sides thereof, a waterproof fabric striphinging forward ends of said side planks together, a waterproof fabricbottom sheet attached to lower edges of the side planks and linking theside planks, a transom strip of waterproof material attached to andlinking rear edges of the side planks and integral with the bottomsheet, a seat board releasably received between the side planks, meansfor holding the seat board in position closely spaced above lower edgesof the side planks, a back rest member releasably received between theside planks, hook members at opposite ends of the back rest memberoverlying upper edges of the side planks and engageable with outer facesof the side planks, each side plank being held between one of the endsof the back rest and the hook member associated therewith, means forholding the back rest member in position adjacent the seat board, atransom board releasably received between rear portions of the sideplanks, hook members at opposite ends of the transom board overlyingupper edges of the side planks and engageable with outer faces of theside planks, and means for holding the back rest member in positionadjacent the transom strip.

5. A collapsible boat which comprises a pair of elongated side planks ofboard-like material forming sides thereof, a waterproof fabric striphinging forward ends of said side planks together, a waterproof fabricbottom sheet attached to lower edges of the side planks and linking theside planks, a transom strip of waterproof material attached to andlinking rear edges of the side planks and integral with the bottomsheet, a seat board releasably received between the side planks, meansfor holding the seat board in position closely spaced above lower edgesof the side planks, a back rest member releasably received between theside planks, hook members at opposite ends of the back rest memberoverlying upper edges of the side planks and engageable with outer facesof the side planks, means for holding the back rest member in positionadjacent the seat board, forward portions of the side planks flaringupwardly and outwardly, a footrest member extending between forwardportions of the side planks, retainer cleats attached to the side planksoverlying the footrest member, the retainer cleats extending forwardlyand upwardly, the footrest member being held under the cleats by theforward portions of the side planks, a transom board releasably receivedbetween rear portions of the side planks, hook members at opposite endsof the transom board overlying upper edges of the side planks andengageable with outer faces of the side planks, and means for holdingthe back rest member in position adjacent the transom strip.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,916,486 Miller July 4, 1933 3,056,976 Craft Oct. 9, 1962 FOREIGNPATENTS 579,279 Germany July 22, 1933

1. A COLLAPSIBLE BOAT WHICH COMPRISES A PAIR OF ELONGATED SIDE PLANKS OFBOARD-LIKE MATERIAL FORMING SIDES THEREOF, A WATERPROOF FABRIC STRIPHINGING FORWARD ENDS OF SAID SIDE PLANKS TOGETHER, A WATERPROOF FABRICBOTTOM SHEET ATTACHED TO LOWER EDGES OF THE SIDE PLANKS AND LINKING THESIDE PLANKS, A TRANSOM STRIP OF WATERPROOF MATERIAL ATTACHED TO ANDLINKING REAR EDGES OF THE SIDE PLANKS AND INTEGRAL WITH THE BOTTOMSHEET, A SEAT BOARD RELEASABLY RECEIVED BETWEEN THE SIDE PLANKS, MEANSFOR HOLDING THE SEAT BOARD IN POSITION CLOSELY SPACED ABOVE LOWER EDGESOF THE SIDE PLANKS, A BACK REST MEMBER RELEASABLY RECEIVED BETWEEN THESIDE PLANKS, HOOK MEMBERS AT OPPOSITE ENDS OF THE BACK REST MEMBEROVERLYING UPPER EDGES OF THE SIDE PLANKS AND ENGAGEABLE WITH OUTER FACESOF THE SIDE PLANKS, EACH SIDE PLANK BEING HELD BETWEEN ONE OF THE ENDSOF THE BACK REST AND THE HOOK MEMBER ASSOCIATED THEREWITH, AND MEANS FORHOLDING THE BACK REST MEMBER IN POSITION ADJACENT THE SEAT BOARD.